the market
by roquereptil
Summary: ok, hello! this is my first published fiction ever, before this most of my stories ended after i got bored of them and never written. this story is about pearl and her struggle with her past, and accepting her present, that is much happier that she admits. it will involve the infamous nacre theory!. also this is a multishipping fic, you will see what i mean by that. enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

It was a clear evening on beach city, and like most evenings, the crystal gems returned home after a long day on missions'. While the other's used this time to watch a movie with Steven before he goes to sleep or organize their room, amethyst preferred to take a long nap on the most confy of her piles of trash, she took a bunch of old papers from her pile of old papers, the ones on the top because those were dry, and used them has blankets, just after she closed her eyes, a familiar voice said her name.

"amethyst…" said pearl in a slygly annoyed tone.

Amethyst opens one eye to greet her teammate "yeeeeeeeeeees?"she said in a non-caring tone "what can I do for you p?"

"care to explain how this…humid pizza box made it up to my room?"

"Oh! That's all?" She closed her eyes again "three days ago Steven brought pizza, there were some leftovers and I thought you might want some "she said genuinely.

Pearl frowned and groaned "you know very well I dislike the process of …eating" she shivered to the though.

Amethyst rolled over her pile of trash to get more confy "who said anything about eating? She responded "I know you like the process of coking and that stuff…"

"So?..."Pearl asked, a little confused of what does have to do with this situation.

"So" she crossed her arms behind her head "I thought this pizza looked kind of cool and I wanted to show you, but you were not around at the time…so I sent you a couple of slices… your welcome." She smiled softly.

Pearl was in awe, this was such a weird gesture from her normally rude teammate, she looked at her suspiciously, then at the pizza box, all wet but surprisingly intact. "Well… thank you, that's very kind of you amethyst"

"Go on, Open the box p!" responded amethyst.

"Well, airtight!" amethyst opened her eyes wide open at pearls response, and observed has she opened the box, a sly grim slowly formed on her lips. A green, thick and smelly cloud rose, right onto pearl's nose.

Amethyst smile turned on a explosion of laughter has pearl's face twitched and acquired a greenish tone, tear drops started to form on the sides of her eyes

"HAHAHA! OH MAN I CANT BELIEVE YOU ACTUALLY OPEN IT" said amethyst clearly enjoying the results of her prank.

Pearl collapsed to the cold humid ground and started coughing out the rancid air that she inhaled.

"WHAT DID YOU EXPECTED AFTER A THREE DAY PIZZA BOX FLOATED TO YOUR ROOM?! HAHAHAHA"laughed amethyst has she wallowed under her makeshift covers.

Pearl looked at amethyst with anger in her eyes, her hands turned into fist's, she looked at the rancid and moldy pizza slices inside the box, out of anger she takes one and throws it at amethyst face, it lands just between her eyes, stopping her laughter.

Pearl smiled, proud of her aim, but it quickly returned to a frown after amethyst give it a non-caring bite at the slice of pizza.

Amethyst didn't knew exactly why she loved so much making pearl lose her nerve, maybe it was the way her face turns a side of blue when she is mad, or the way her nose wrinkles when she frowns. She definitely remembers the way she used to lecture her when she did something too reckless… maybe with more screaming and less after hugs, but it was the closest to those old times.

Pearl stands up, furious, ready to drop the heaviest scolding she had on her pranking teammate "AMETHYST! YOU…DEVIANT…LITTLE …VIPER ARGH!"

Amethyst could only cover her huge grin with the slice of pizza, this was priceless, way better than lil'buttler!...season one at least.

"WHY DO YOU ENTRETAIN YOURSELF TORTURINGME!? AND HONESTLY I SHOULD HAVE SEEN IT COMING! BUT OH NO! NO, I HAD TO TRUST YOU! WELL GUESS WHAT? THAT'S IT!" she slammed her feet on the ground "THIS IS THE LAST TIME YOU…"

"Pearl…"

"Huh?"Pearl turned around to where she though the source of the voice came from. Then a sharp and painful buzz echoed through her head, she bring her two hands to her head trying to control the pain, she screams her lungs out.

Amethyst was startled by this. "p? P?!" she stands up and hurried to where her teammate was, pearl had collapsed to the ground in fetal position screaming and screaming and then…silence. Her face turned blank, not enraged, nor disgusted or sad or happy. Blank, like holo pearl's default face.

"Pearl? Pearl answer me! What's wrong?" Amethyst said has she grabbed pearl from the ground, she was tense like a table.

Amethyst was unsure what was going on, was this a comeback prank?,naw, that would be to cruel from p, also she sucks at pranking, the pizza smell was too much?... pearl has smelled worse things for sure. A hundred more things crossed her mind and that just made things worse. She decides to hold her close, check if her gem had something weird, at first sight, her gem looks normal, amethyst decides to go for garnet, she should know what's going on.

"Don't worry p, i-im sure garnet known's what going on! I will bring her here!" she said has she hurried to the door, but before she leaved, pearl stranded up.

"Amethyst…"

Amethyst turned around and saw pearl standing up; she hurried back to where her partner was. "Pearl! What happen? Are you ok?... I-I mean, gee p, it was just some moldy pizzas…talking about a drama queen" nice save ame.

Pearl just looked at amethyst, her face was normal again but she was serious, a small smile formed on her lips, puzzled amethyst asked her "seriously what happen to you? I…I was worried…"pearl then hugged amethyst, cutting her out. "I'm ok…now, I'm sorry for worrying you"

Amethyst didn't hug back; this was so weird what just happen? And why is she acting like this?

"uhhh no problem? But really, are you alright?"

Pearl stroked amethyst cheek, they both looked at each other eyes, their faces were so close.

Does she want me to...kiss her? Amethyst though and blushed a little, but before she could do or say anything, pearl let go and stood up "I need to talk with garnet… I will explain everything after that, is that ok, amethyst?"

Well that's it "UMMM… NO? WHAT THE HECK PEARL? WHAT JUST HAPPEN NOW? AND WHY ARE YOU ACTING LIKE…THIS?"

Pearl smile dropped "something from my past…before I had you or garnet…before rose… returned…and I need to know why" pearl said has she left amethyst room.


	2. the market part 2

"DING!" Rings the bells of the microwave, letting know garnet the popcorn is ready. She stands up to get them, not before affectionally patting Steven's head.

Garnet takes the popcorn bag out of the microwave, pours half of it on a bowl, and returns the bag to the micro. She looks at the snacks in the table. Popcorn, soda, and gummy cats, of course, nothing of this she was going to eat, these snacks were for Steven, who was selecting the movie both of them were going to watch, garnets takes them all with her gauntlet's and returns to Steven's bed.

"So, what movie are we going to watch Steven?" Asked garnet, while placing the snacks on the floor.

Steven smiled at her "Ronaldo recommended this one! He said it's a classic" he pulled the movie out of his back pack "ITS FRANKENSTEIN"

Garnet recognized the title "I have read the book"

"IN SPACE!"said Steven while showing the cover to garnet, it had a green-ish humanoid being in the background, and a woman in a space suit screaming in terror, the letters for Frankenstein were green while the in space was silver

"…that's new" responded garnet

Steven nods with a big grin on his face "In space, has science gone too far? Or that's what Ronaldo told me when he gave me the movie, what do you think?"

Garnet paused for a moment, thinking her answer "are you old enough to see this movie" she asked Steven.

"im a large man now!" he said proudly

Garnet smiled at his response "alright large man lets watch it"

And with garnet's response, Steven puts the video on the reproducer. They watch the movie to the very end, Steven didn't got scared or anything like that, but he was thoughtful, and garnet noticed this when she tuck him for bed.

"What is it Steven?"

"Nothing garnet… it's just"

"You didn't like the movie?"

"I did but, I don't understand…why did the doctor threw his creation through the airlock?"

"Because he got scared of what he created" garnet answered

"Scared?"

"Yes Steven, he couldn't confront the reality of what he had done, so he tried to get rid of them."

"But… even after they saved the ship from the space pirates"

"The doctor still wanted to destroy them, why?" asked Steven.

Garnet though for a moment what to tell Steven "hmm… maybe the doctor did not liked how his creation acted"

Steven looked confused at her response "but they were heroic!" he said raising his arms in the air.

"Then maybe the doctor didn't want them to be a hero" garnet said has she lowered Steven's arms back down

"oh-OH, so the doctor was a villain?" asked Steven.

Garnet nodded to Steven and kissed his forehead "correct, good night Steven"

"hehe… good night garnet" said Steven while closing his eyes.

Garnet then took the plate and the soda cans from the floor and goes back to the kitchen, she leaves the plate on the sink and throws the cans on the trash.

She then turns off the lights just before going to her own room, but then a glow on the door of the temple interrupted her, pearls door opened and she comes out, she looked concerned and also exhausted.

"Greetings garnet" she said a little spaced out like she wasn't focused

"Howdy" responded garnet, not sure if she should point out what she has noticed

"How was your movie night with Steven?" asked pearl, a small smile formed in her lips, but her eyes were still sore.

"It was the worst movie I have seen, but Steven liked it, so it was good"

They both look at each other's eyes for a while, not saying anything. Usually pearl would break eye contact after a while and blush a lot, but not now. Garnet could see that pearl was just crying before, and her expression showed exhaustion. She thought of the worst.

"She made contact with you…" said garnet quietly, like she didn't want anyone to hear it, like that would change the fact. Pearl break eye contact finally, looking to the side "so you did see it coming…"says pearl, a little bit of sadness on her voice

"Pearl. I…"

"Why did you not told me?" interrupted pearl, her voice breaking, looking straight at her eyes, she was about to cry.

Garnet gets closer to her. "There were many chances she wasn't going to do it…I didn't want to stress you out in bane if it didn't happen… I'm sorry" she said, reaching for pearl's shoulder.

For pearl it's a rare thing seeing her team leader apologies, it's rare for her to show her emotions, but she can tell garnet's apology is sincere, she takes garnet's had in response "Don't be…it docent matter anymore" she says softly.

"We must go immediately….see why did she return" said pearl taking garnet by the hand and trying to move her to the warp pad. Garnet did not move, no matter how hard pearl pulled. "we can't go yet"

Pearl finally snapped "WHAT!?… WH!" garnet interrupted pearl by placing her hand on her mouth, pearl was frowning, her body tense.

Garnet shushes her, and turns around to see if they have woken up Steven already. The room was quiet only the waves of the ocean could be heard in the near distance and a soft breathing, garnet focuses on that breathing, its calm and rhythmic, Steven is still asleep. She then turns around to see pearl taking her hand from her face, "sorry" she says a little embarrassed.

"Maybe we should take a walk".

The night sky was stray, the new moon was in the zenith and the cold wind blew from the high tide, Pearl contemplated a particular group of stars has she walked through the shore, a few steps back, garnet followed her, waiting for her to organize her ideas and calm down.

Usually, when pearl contemplates the stars from the temple or occasionally after a mission, she docent feel homesick in the conventional way, no, she thinks about the adventures and experiences she lived, with ruby and sapphire, with rose. That life that feels so distant, yet so close. That life that in a way, it still continues here, on earth, with Steven and garnet, and amethyst. Pearl would chuckle softly, thinking on the old days when her and amethyst would train together and "patrol the beach for intruders".

But not tonight, tonight she contemplates a constellation that for some gems was a tender reminder of home, for her it was a constant treat that someday, space ships will come from that direction, Homeworld. Where her life…no…her existence started. Pearl finally stops walking "why do you think she came back?" she asked garnet turning around to face her.

"I have no idea, she didn't tell you anything?"

Pearl turns back to see the ocean "her message was…disturbed, all I could make out of it was where I would find her and that she needed me…"

Pearl lowers her head "She…never told me that before, or anyone, as far as I know…she sounded scared and… well…different. I don't know how to explain this to you, when she do…"

"Pearl" garnet interrupted, making pearl to turn to face her. "Where is she?"

Pearl shallows her breath "she is in the market"

"Why did she go there?" asked garnet.

Pear's gem glows with a white light, revealing a hologram of a fortress "every market contains a research facility on its core, for the study and development of…well whatever she desires to work on" she pauses, realizing that she has been the only one sharing information "What did you saw?" she asked finally.

Garnet let out a sigh, this wasn't going to be easy for pearl "I saw many things, some contradicted each other, but one future always ended in the same outcome…if we go right now, just the two of us… we won't made it out of the warp pad"

Pearl's pupils shrinked when she heard this

"It was dark, whatever it was that attacked us, it was fast and knew how to beat us…it will happen over and over, until morning… and Steven and amethyst most come with us too"

For some reason, the mention of amethyst and Steven coming with them to that place made pearl to tense up again. "Steven?! Bu-but why?!"

"After I saw the futures were she contacted you… I explored every single scenario where this became truth, the only futures were we all came back are the ones were Steven and amethyst come with us"

"Are you sure that would be necessary I-I mean can't we go after the sun come out?...just the two of us i-I mean." Pearl insisted.

"…why you don't want them to go?" garnet questioned her.

"be-because it would be dangerous! With that thing that will attack us and…"

"That thing, whatever it was, only will attack us if we go during this night; we hold more chances of success if we go all"

Pearl can't deny garnet's logic, no matter how much she wants to "but-they might-I mean it's true but still"

Garnet interrupts pearl giverish when she holds her hands with hers, and takes her to the rocks near the temple, she sits and guides pearl so she does the same.

Both sat there for a while, not discussing or planning, just listening to the shore and the cold winds blow, pearl did not understood, at first, but as her respiration calmed down and her thoughts became clear she realized why did garnet did what she did, she looks at garnet, garnet looks back "better?" she asks.

"I guess?" pearl responds

"good" was her responce,followed by a question.

"Pearl, are you afraid of Nacre?"

Her real name somehow docent has the same effect her surname has on her, and other pearls she suppose. She meditates how to answer garnet's question.

"It's complicated? I mean, she is intimidating…and what she can do to me…that's what terrifies me"

"Would you prefer to not go to this mission?" Asked garnet

"What? No! I mean…I would prefer not having to confront her,b-but I know I must do it, because whatever she is planning it can't be good, it has never been good ,and I must be there to stop her."

"Why?" questioned garnet, while she got closer to pearl

"Because I know her!" confronted pearl

"So you would knew what she is planning and you could stop her"

"YES"

"You want to make sure this mission succeed"

"EXACTLY"

"Then why don't you want the help of your teammates, even though you know you need them to stop her?"

They were both looking at each other, eye to eye, their faces just a nose of distance of each other, pearl frowned, clearly angry at garnet's questionings. Garnet on the other hand remained calm, a worried expression under her glasses. Finally, pearl breaks the contact and looks to the house. "It's just…I don't want them to see how someone like me should really be… I don't want amethyst and Steven to realize I am…" she can't finish the sentence, a few teardrops fall from her face.

Garnet takes her glasses off, and holds pearl arm "pearl"

Pearl looks back to find the deep crimson and azure eyes of her leader, her expression was of sadness and concern, she opens her arms, asking for permission to embrace her, pearl simply lets her body fall into garnet's body, allowing her to hold her.

"I know for what you have been through, but I will never know how you truly feel about it, but you must know, the pearl she wanted is NOT real, it never was" at this point pearl starts to hold into garnets shoulders, crying over them. "And no matter how the other pearls act, or work, none of them would have accomplish what you have done" they stay like this for a moment, until pearl stops sobbing, and lifts her head, and once again sees garnets beautiful eyes. "You really think all that?" she asks

Garnet smiles at her "I wouldn't be here, talking with you if you were like the other pearls, I owe rose and you a lot"

Pearl smiles at garnet statement, remembering those wild days with ruby and sapphire, "well, I guess I am pretty great"

"Yes, you are" responded garnet

Both shared a soft laughter, until pearl realized how close they actually were, she was sitting on garnet's lap! Her arms around her neck, she hasn't been this close to her in a long time. A bright abundant blush quickly covered her face her laughter became more awkward better change the subject "a-anyway…uh, we should…go back now! Yes!"

"But pearl" says garnet in a slow, almost hypnotic way. "YE-YES?" responded pearl.

"I owe you" she said with a big mischievous smile.

"WHA…UMM…Y-YEAH I GUESS HAHAHA BUT WE CAN TAL"

Garnet interrupted pearl with a soft ,quick kiss in the nose, sending pearl to maximum blush, her head was totally blue, steam came out of her gem. She fall down to the sand and starts making bird like sounds, while her arms and legs wiggle like they had minds of their own.

Garnet snorted at pearl's reaction . Although she admits is rather cruel , it is also adorable how she melts at affections, it has been a while, since she teased pearl like this, it was rare back then, but it is even rarer now. "im sorry" garnet says between chuckles" I really am" she offers pearl her hand "you feel better now right?"

pearl cant contain her embarrassment, tring to cover her blue flushed face, failing to cover her looks up at garnet, that is laughing, just making her embarrassment worse, she always falls for that, probabilly because garnet rarely is that touchy with her.

pearl takes garnet's hand,she nods answering her question, she smiles at her "shouldnt ia be the one telling you what you can do for you? She teases.

"I guess so" garnet chuckled, again both are laughing "so what now?" asked garnet finally

"I need to tell amethyst whats going on...I left her very worried" responded pearl garnets nods and follows pearl back to the temple but before they take more than a few steps pearl turns around "you said something?" she asks.

Garnet denies this, which makes pearl raises an eyebrow in confusion, until it hit her "please not again" she thought.

garnet looks powersless how her friend falls to the ground in pain, she quickly grabs her and holds her close "its ok, im right here"garnet tries to comfort her, but by this moment, pearl was already tense as ataable and the dead look on her face returned

This time she stayed like this for 10 minute, garnet never leaved her side.

Finally, pearl' eyes return to normal, so does her body, she looks up to find garnet looking at her, a soft smile on her lips.

Pearl departs from garnet, taking the smile she had. "Pearl? What did she told you now?" asked garnet.

Pearl docent respond, she looking at the ground, she moves her arm to touch her gem.

Garnet wanted to get close to her, but pearl interrupted her "im fine... I just want this to be over… Let's just...let's just go back" she said, and without waiting for garnet, she headed back to the temple.

Pearl opens the door slowly, not wanting to wake Steven, she is received by amethyst, she was waiting in the couch holding her knees in a thigh hug.

They look at each other for a moment, amethyst was about to say something, but she was interrupted by a soft grunt by pearl "we will talk in the morning" was her cold responce, while she returned to her room.

Amethyst frowned and was about to scream something back at pearl, but garnet entered the house and reminded her Steven was asleep.

"What's going on with her?" asked amethyst silently.

Garnet simply said " she is having...family issues"

Amethyst looks at her unbelieving what she just heard "what?..."

Garnet place her hand on amethyst shoulder "She will told you and Steven in the morning, we won't deal with this until them"

"but she is going to be alright?" asked amethyst, concerned for the lack of info she is getting from everyone.

Garnet just nodded, and went inside the temple. The rest of the night the crystal gems did not sleep at all, while some prepared themselves for a imminent fight, amethyst just tried to sleep it out but failed to do so.


End file.
